The Month of May
by ladynerdynerd
Summary: She couldn't work it out, no matter how hard she tried, and it was driving her mad.
1. Chapter 1

_So this is my first attempt at Caryl-been a longtime fan and supporter, only just recently become involved in the fandom and decided to take a bash at doing some fanfiction. This is basically just a silly idea that wouldn't leave me alone so here it is; I have no idea if it's really any good or even in character but I do hope there's something to be enjoyed in it. It's set in the prison era based on the assumption that nothing terrible has happened in terms of the Governor and such, T-Dog and Oscar are still alive and Merle is...let's just say missing? Please excuse any errors, I did check repeatedly but I am not perfect. Anyway, hope you like. Caryl on!_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to anything recognisable in this fic. Don't sue._

* * *

Carol couldn't really say when it happened, only that it had, in fact, happened. One minute, he had simply been Daryl Dixon, the man who had slowly but surely earned a very big place in her heart as a very dear friend, and then the next minute she was seeing him in a way that made her skin tingle and her heart race whenever he was around. There wasn't an obvious indication as to why she was suddenly feeling differently; he was still Daryl and she was still Carol, two people thrust together in the chaos of the world and bound to one another through their time of surviving. But then again, that counted for all the people that made up their little family; none of them would be where they were now if it wasn't for each other sticking together and protecting one another.

She couldn't work it out, no matter how hard she tried, and it was driving her mad. There wasn't just one thing about Daryl that made her like him, care for him; his transformation from the rough redneck who would snarl before speaking to the strong and protective man that he had become had been no real surprise to her as she had seen the goodness within him early on, right from the moment he set off in search for Sophia by himself. From their time at the farm, it had been a wonderful thing to witness his integration into the group, to see the change in his demeanour and the shy yet protective nature that he could no longer fully conceal from the people who had grown to truly love him.

Sure, he was still rough, and sometimes his temper left a little to be desired, but there was no denying that Daryl was a good man, a very good man, a man that Carol couldn't pretend that she wasn't thinking about nearly every hour of every day. It wasn't like she couldn't control herself, like she suddenly turned into a drooling mess whenever he was nearby, but there was no denying that he did something to her, something that stirred up emotions she couldn't quite identify.

Carol knew what lust was, knew what it felt like to want someone; she even knew what it was like to love someone, even if that person had been Ed. This, whatever it was, was something quite different, something she couldn't truly comprehend. With Ed, even at the very beginning, there had been no butterflies, no shy smiles or sensations of yearning when he wasn't around. There had been a brief courtship, a quick and frankly awful wedding, a month of what could be considered wedded bliss, and then the beatings, the abuse, the birth of her beautiful Sophia, more abuse and then the world went to hell. With Daryl, a tentative bond had flourished, albeit slowly, into a friendship that she treasured above everything else, a friendship that brought her more comfort and security than her marriage ever had. He was her best friend, the very best friend that she had ever had.

Still, knowing that he was someone very important in her life and sharing that strong friendship with him didn't lend her any clues to solving her current predicament. It didn't explain why she constantly felt the need to be near him or why she had the desire to see his shy smile that he only ever really seemed to bestow upon her, or even why she wanted to sit and watch him work on his bike all day.

Nor did it explain why she felt like a giddy teenager with a gigantic crush.

For what felt like the hundredth time in so many weeks, Carol raked a hand through her hair and sighed loudly, stalking towards the entrance to the prison yard with determined strides. As she pushed open the doors and stepped out into the bright May sunshine, she knew that she wasn't fooling anyone, especially herself, not in the slightest. She wasn't naïve or idiotic enough to not have a clue about what it all meant.

She knew exactly what it meant.

* * *

For all that she knew about him, Daryl's manner with children had been something that Carol could never have predicted. He'd never really interacted with Sophia when she had been alive, not enough for her to form any sort of concrete opinion, but his relentless searching for her had spoken volumes and his gentleness with Judith and the growing number of children living the prison was nothing short of endearing. He always tried hard to hide his amusement at the antics of the children as they went about life within the prison and tried to remain aloof and distant in his interactions with them but everybody, especially Carol, knew that even Daryl Dixon was not resistant to the innocent charm of a child.

It was a bright and sunny day outside when Carol bore witness to a scene that she played over in her mind for weeks on end. She lay up on her bunk in her cell, having retreated there to remove herself from the relentless heat of the sun, and was calmly knitting what must have been her hundredth pair of socks when she heard the approach of many pairs of little feet. She raised her head and smiled as a huddle of young faces appeared in her doorway.

''Hi, Carol!''

She returned the chirpy greeting with a smile, happy to see their grimy but carefree expressions. ''What are you all up to?''

''We're having a tea party outside!'' Little Lulu explained, her brown eyes shining in excitement.

''Mr Glenn found a big tea set and gave it to us.'' Tyler, short and scruffy, rubbed his messy blonde curls somewhat shyly. ''We haven't got real tea but-''

''But it'll still be fun.'' Casey chimed in, her taller frame looming protectively over the younger children. The preteen looked at Carol hopefully. ''We've invited pretty much everyone. It's outside in the dining area.''

Carol couldn't help but feel a little choked up at the idea. A tea party, something that was once so simple and typical in the lives of many children, was now as rare a thing as flattering clothes and consistent hot water. She studied the keen and excited expressions in front of her on tired, grubby but nonetheless happy faces and felt a melancholy kind of happiness bubble up inside her chest. These children would never truly know the carefree innocence of childhood ever again, and if a makeshift tea party in the yard of a prison was as close as they could get to experiencing it, who was she to refuse an invitation?

Bowing her head to quickly blink away the tears that threatened to fall, Carol gently shook the knitting needles still clasped in her hands.

''Let me just tidy this up and I'll be right there.''

Her words were rewarded with hushed little exclamations of joy and excitement and she waved them all along with instructions on how she liked her 'tea'. As she carefully put away her knitting, the sound of feet picking up speed on the stairs, accompanied by loud shouts, had her rushing out of her cell to peer down over the edge of the walkway.

''What in the goddamn-?!''

Carol clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh, her eyes shining with delight at the sight of a very confused and startled Daryl, complete with messy wet hair from the shower, standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by a crowd of excited children.

''Mr Daryl, Mr Daryl!'' The eager voices of the children hurtled around the room as they swarmed the confused man, clambering over each other in their haste to get at him, curling round his legs and tugging on the edges of his shirt.

''C'mon, Mr Daryl!''

''You gotta come with us!''

He peered down at them all in mounting bemusement and alarm, his arms raised warily above their heads as though he was afraid to touch them.

''Now, come on!''

Carol snorted as young Timmy, five years old and utterly adorable, leapt up to wind his arms around the crook of Daryl's left arm, barely moving the strong structure of the hunter as his little body swung up from the floor. Daryl raised the arm, bringing Timmy up higher with it, and looked at the giggling boy with a questioning stare before turning his attention back to the gaggle of children at his feet, a tiny smile of amusement tugging at his lips.

''C'mon, Mr Daryl!'' Lulu chanted, taking hold of his free weather-worn hand and giving it a tug.

Daryl stumbled forward a little as the others copied her action, pulling on his legs insistently.

''Where we goin'?'' he asked quietly, subconsciously curling his arm around Timmy and holding the boy loosely to his side, eliciting a delighted smile from the child.

''We're having a tea party and everyone's invited, so hurry up or we'll be late!''

With a mildly disgruntled grumble, Daryl allowed the children to usher him along, taking care not to step on any of their little feet as they skipped around him. Carol couldn't remove the aching grin from her face and she moved to hurry along after them, determined not to miss the sight of Daryl Dixon having afternoon tea.

* * *

Carol threw up a hand to shield her eyes from the sun, blinking furiously at the change in her vision as she tried to pull her thoughts away from that day several months ago. No, she couldn't exactly say when her feelings had changed but if she had to hazard a guess, it would have been around that time. She might have had a few fleeting moments before, merely curious musings and silly thoughts, but after that day, after seeing his gentle and practically playful manner with the children as they made him participate in the longest tea party in the history of tea parties, they had become less fleeting, less silly and all the more intense and consuming.

Sighing heavily, Carol cast her adjusting vision around her surroundings. The yard was a hubbub of noise and action, people chatting companionably as they tended to certain chores, laughing freely in the glorious heat. For almost a year they had lived at the prison and the original group, along with the others that had joined the prison in that time, had flourished and had built a home where life was worth living. Danger still existed, as it probably always would do in their world, but it was a danger they could exist with, deal with as a strong unit, as a family.

As Carol's eyes finally adjusted to the light, a bright laugh of delight met her ears and she instantly smiled in recognition. Turning her head, she watched Rick as he walked low to the ground, arms out in front of him and a huge grin on his face as he followed a toddling Judith.

''That's it, Judy!'' he encouraged, his voice full of fatherly pride. ''Atta girl!''

People stopped and turned to watch in delight as the little girl stumbled drunkenly along, happily chatting nonsense to herself. After a moment, she stopped and looked around carefully as though searching for something, before her eyes landed on her target and a gummy smile appeared on her cherubic face. With determined steps, the youngest Grimes surged forward, her small body bouncing with her steps. Carol hurried behind Rick before stopping just as he did, a huge grin breaking out on both of their faces as Judith came up behind the grumbling hunter kneeling by the side of a recently recovered truck.

''Goddamn it,'' Daryl grumbled gruffly as he stood up, giving the side of the truck a hearty bang with the filthy tool clutched in his hand. ''Lousy, poxy son of a-''

''Darerr!''

Daryl barely managed to catch his words as Judith moved towards him, her little face alight with happiness at seeing her favourite uncle. The hunter's face, previously marred with an angry frown, instantly relaxed into a warm smile as the little girl reached him, hands held up in the air expectantly.

''Well, lookit you, Asskicker!'' he crooned, obediently dropping the tool and swooping down to scoop the giggling toddler into his arms. ''Be hard to keep up with ya soon.''

''Don't say that,'' Rick chuckled, moving to stand beside them. ''I remember Carl; boy wouldn't slow down for nothin'. Couldn't count the amount of bumped heads we had to deal with.''

Daryl chuckled and gave Judith a little bounce. ''Ain't nothin' we can't handle, eh, sweetheart?''

''Darerr.'' Judith cooed in agreement, drawing another laugh from the two men.

Carol watched the interaction fondly, a hand resting over her heart as it jumped erratically in her chest. Seeing Daryl with Judith had always been something that made her come over all warm and flustered; be it when Jude was still tiny and could only be calmed by Daryl's rumbling voice or when he would helplessly light up at the sound of her voice calling for him, it was something that made her tingle all over every time.

''Makes you ache, doesn't it.''

Carol jumped at Michonne's voice and she turned to fix her friend with a mock glare. ''I swear, I'll never get used to your super stealth skills.''

Michonne raised an eyebrow. ''Super stealth skills? I walked right up to you like any normal person but clearly,'' she jerked her head in Daryl's direction, ''you're a bit preoccupied with our resident hunter over there.''

Carol frowned, feeling her stomach twist. ''I don't know what you mean.''

''Course you don't,'' Michonne replied.

''I'm serious,'' Carol said somewhat firmly, a frown marring her features.

''What we talkin' about?'' Maggie asked chirpily as she came up behind the two women.

Michonne only had to surreptitiously nod in Daryl's direction before Maggie's mouth curved into a huge grin.

''Ahh,'' she said with a giggle. ''Should have known.''

Carol clenched and unclenched her fists, hating the sudden sweaty coating that was clinging to her palms.

''I think you two have got the completely wrong idea.''

''Idea? Honey, the way you look at him is enough proof for me.'' Maggie chuckled, ducking her head in the sunlight to peer closely at Carol.

''I-Erm-'' Carol floundered for what to say, feeling a burning heat rise into her already warm face.

''Can't say I blame you though,'' Michonne said appreciatively. ''He is a good looking man.''

Maggie nodded in agreement. ''He does pull off that rugged, untameable loner thing really well.''

Something unpleasant, heavy in acidity and venom, roiled to life within the pit of Carol's stomach, sending a clenching pang up into her chest that nearly stole her breath. She placed a hand against the area of her skin where her heart was suddenly racing frantically, frowning at the uncomfortable sensation of her blood rushing furiously through her veins.

''Carol,'' Michonne's voice, serious and concerned, cut through the buzzing in her ears. ''We were only…We didn't mean to upset you.''

''Upset?'' Carol's voice came out in the form of a high and shrill laugh. ''Why would I be upset?''

Michonne frowned thoughtfully but didn't say anything in return. Her intense gaze and Maggie's puzzled stare only served to fuel Carol's discomfort and with a breathless apology, she pushed past the two stunned women and hurried back inside the prison.

* * *

Carol tucked herself away in her cell for the rest of the day, feigning a headache to all those who came to enquire as to her wellbeing. It wasn't far from the truth; confusing thoughts of her reaction to Michonne and Maggie's words hurtled through her mind well into the evening, reducing her to an exhausted and muddled wreck.

She felt bad for hiding away, mainly for the fact that she was missing the celebration being held in the communal area for Maggie's birthday. She could hear the loud chatter, the happy laughter and sounds of carefree cheer and each sound was like a hammer to her heart. She didn't want to begrudge any of her friends and family their happiness, not when it had taken them so long to find it and keep hold of it, but she couldn't help the jealousy that she felt towards them all. What kind of person did that make her, being jealous and bitter about her friends being happy just because she was acting like a pathetic fool over Daryl?

Daryl…

Her eyes filled with tears and she stuffed a fist against her mouth to will them away, frustrated at her own ridiculousness.

And yet, it wasn't ridiculous. In fact, it was very terrifying. If Michonne and Maggie thought that she was feeling something other than friendship towards Daryl, did everybody else think the same?

Did Daryl?

The thought of him knowing brought on a wave of nausea so strong that Carol scrambled to a standing position, gripping the side of her bunk tightly as she gaged whether she would actually vomit. She screwed her eyes tightly shut and willed the churning sensation of her stomach to stop, waited for the wetness in her mouth to go away.

She was a foolish woman.

It was impossible not to love him.

She'd tried, she really had. Their friendship, once shy and barely blossoming, had bloomed into something that she relied on, that she needed in order to carry on. She didn't want to be one of those women who couldn't be friends with a man, who had to become the ultimate cliché by falling in love with her best friend, but…

It was just impossible not to.

She knew they were close, even if they had never truly addressed it. The lingering gazes, the gentle smiles, shoulder nudges and playful teasing, combined with the unspoken yet undeniable loyalty that they presented towards each other had allowed for an unbreakable bond to be formed between them, one she could never imagine being without. Now, she realised that all of those things and more had caused her to ultimately feel so much for him that it made her physically ache for him, ache for all that she knew they could never be.

She was foolish, that was for certain, but she wasn't stupid. Anybody and everybody could see the appeal of Daryl Dixon; strong, loyal, brave and incredibly handsome, at least in her opinion. An opinion she knew plenty of the female residents of the prison also shared. Women who were younger than her, more attractive than her, more interesting and definitely more suitable for Daryl than she. There was Stacey, beautiful and funny with a sharp wit that had earned one or two small smiles from Daryl in her few months at the prison. Or there was Alice, tomboyish and gorgeous with a natural affinity for anything engine related. Hell, even Michonne…

Carol clenched a hand into her hair, willing her mind to stop racing, willing herself to get a damn grip. These thoughts and notions were nothing truly new. She'd tortured herself with them many a quiet night and always came to the same heart breaking conclusion every time; he would never want her, not in the way that she wanted him. Why would he?

They were friends. The very best of friends and she wouldn't trade that for anything or anyone. No romance was worth the loss of that, and yet she couldn't stop wondering what it would be like to turn their gentle shoulder nudges into lingering embraces, what it would be like to press her face into his chest and breathe in his comforting scent, to place her lips upon his…

A sudden rapid scuffling sound alerted her to a new presence within her cell and she opened her eyes to look at the wriggling terrier standing by her leg. A weak smile graced her pale face and she dropped gingerly back down onto the bed. The dog seemed to accept this as an invitation and hopped up beside her, nuzzling her scruffy brown face into the crook of Carol's neck. Carol's smile grew a little as she reached up to scratch the dog behind her left ear, winding her fingers through the soft fur over and over in a manner that drew a pleased snort from the dog. Carol closed her eyes and sighed deeply, allowing her mind to drift back to when their four legged friend had first appeared in their lives…

* * *

''There's a dog!''

Carol immediately looked up at Carl's faint shout of shock, exchanging a puzzled look with Rick as they both hurried down to where Carl, Oscar and Glenn were performing the daily routine of removing the walkers clinging to the fences. As Carol and Rick joined them, the sound of a dog barking could be heard from somewhere behind the surging group of hungry monsters.

''Can you see it?'' Rick asked, craning his neck back as a female walker released a particularly impressive spray of blood as he dealt her a fatal blow to the head.

''Caught a glimpse but not-wait! There it is!''

Carol ducked her head to peer through the gap in the growling crowd and, sure enough, there was a dog, trembling all over and sporting several cuts and scrapes, but otherwise relatively unharmed.

''How the hell did a dog survive this long out there?'' Rick grunted questioningly.

''No idea,'' Glenn mused, his face displaying a look of awe.

''We gotta get it inside the fence,'' Carl said determinedly, wrenching the piece of spiked wood out of another caving skull.

Rick glanced at his son. ''Carl…I don't-''

''We can't just leave it out there to die!''

The young boy turned to regard them all, his eyes shining brightly with rising outrage. Father and son faced one another, tension crackling within their locked stare, which was only broken by the familiar rumble of an approaching motorcycle. Carol felt a heady buzz of relief run through her body and she forced her wobbly legs to follow Glenn as he hurried towards the gate. A sharp bark drew Carol's attention and she turned her head to see the dog hurrying along towards the gate on the other side of the fence, jumping and weaving between the snarling beasts that lunged for it.

''Hey!''

''Over here!''

Oscar, Carl and Rick shouted and hit the fence with their weapons to catch the attention of the lingering walkers as Glenn opened the gate, allowing Daryl to cruise through, closely pursued by Michonne and T-Dog in a car and by the dog who ran alongside him as though its life depended on it. Carol heard Carl let out a delighted laugh at the sight before abandoning his post, leaving Rick and Oscar to dispatch the last of the walkers as he quickly hurried along the path with Carol.

They drew up on Daryl as he dismounted the bike, scratching his head and looking down in bewilderment at the dog.

''The hell is this?'' he asked gruffly, gesturing to the dog.

Carol grinned, unable to help herself. The dog was some kind of terrier, resembling a somewhat long legged Jack Russell with ruffled russet fur, white markings and bright amber eyes that were looking up at Daryl somewhat excitedly.

''I think he likes you.'' Carl said, his voice hushed in surprise.

Daryl gave a grunt but continued to look at the dog who stared back just as intently. It was almost like they were sizing each other up, working one another out, and Carol found herself ridiculously holding her breath as she and Carl waited silently for the verdict.

After a few moments, the dog snorted playfully and crouched down, behind up in the air and tail wagging with joy. Daryl's lips moved into a small grin of amusement and he knelt down, lifting his hand towards the dog carefully. The dog wasted no time in hurrying towards him, nuzzling into Daryl's hand and whining softly. Daryl looked the dog over slowly, his head cocking from side to side as his eyes appraised the animal thoughtfully. The dog let out a happy whimper and promptly rolled over, displaying a pink and spotty underbelly.

''Oh!'' Carl exclaimed with a laugh. ''Guess he's a she!''

''Guess so.'' Daryl mumbled, reaching out to tickle the dog's belly with a quiet chuckle. ''Pretty impressive that she survived so long.''

''She looks a bit battle worn though,'' Carol said, pointing out the superficial injuries on the dog's legs and side.

''Ah, just needs a good clean, is all,'' Daryl grunted as he stood back up, hauling his pack from the seat of his bike and shouldering it as he stalked off towards the car to help Michonne and T-Dog with the gear they had collected. The dog scrambled to her feet and watched him go, her head tilted to the side and her eyes wide with what could only be described as sadness. Carol cooed in sympathy and began to reach out for the dog, already opening her mouth to shout out a scolding reprimand at Daryl's back, when a loud clucking noise met her ears as Daryl called out to the dog.

''C'mon, girl.''

The dog barked in reply before rushing after him, her claws clacking roughly against the ground as she happily followed her new friend. Carol and Carl watched them walk side by side before turning to each other with a smile.

''Guess Daryl's got a new best friend,'' Carl said.

Carol's smile only grew. ''Guess so.''

* * *

From that day, Daryl and the dog had been near inseparable. The deal had been sealed when Daryl had wrapped a scruffy black bandana round the dog's neck in place of a collar and declared that her name was Lady.

''Why Lady?'' Carol had asked as she watched the little naming ceremony with a fond smile.

Daryl had shrugged and given an awkward tilt of his head. ''That's what she is, ain't she?''

Carol could hardly argue with his logic and could only smile at the sweetness of the pair. There was hardly a time where they weren't together; they ate side by side, she slept curled up beside him at night and even accompanied him on the runs that were predicted to be less hazardous. Lady loved the other prison residents, particularly Carol and Carl, but it was Daryl that she truly adored beyond all else.

Knowing this, Carol turned her gaze so she could look the dog properly in the face.

''What you doing, huh? Where's Daryl? Where is he, sweetie?'' she asked softly, ruffling her fingers through the shaggy fur on the side of Lady's face.

Lady gave nothing away and merely wriggled with delight at the attention before her ears pricked up at a new additional noise coming from downstairs. Carol listened and allowed herself to smile a genuine smile as she heard the echo of music, real honest to god music. Glenn had found a portable speaker system, an mp3 player and an assortment of batteries on a recent run and had presented the find to the group like it was a pot of gold, grinning madly while promising his wife that she would dance to a real song on her birthday. There had been a torturous process of going through the seemingly endless amount of used batteries before finding ones that still held some juice, allowing for the mp3 player to be charged on the dock of the speakers in preparation for the party. Carol had completely forgotten about it until now and the tune of a classic _Beatles_ number filtering through the air caused her to grin and the downstairs occupants to cheer in delight.

''Whatcha' smilin' at?''

The unexpected sound of his voice from her doorway caused Carol to shriek in surprise, sending Lady hurtling off the bed with a loud bark and her hackles raised into a bizarre mohawk. Daryl held up his hands, eyebrow quirked questioningly at her reaction.

''Whoa now! Ain't no need to get excited.''

Despite her inner turmoil, Carol was, as always, happy to see him. Her initial panic died down and she found herself able to give him a playful glare. ''It's not my fault. I can hardly hear you sneaking up on me with all that noise from downstairs.''

Daryl lowered his hands with a snort. ''Wasn't sneakin'.''

Carol watched as he dropped into a crouch in order to fuss over Lady who promptly rolled over in order to have her belly scratched. She studied the relaxed nature of his face behind his shaggy mop of hair. It was in desperate need of a cut and she found herself wondering, for about the hundredth time at least, what it would be like to trail her fingers through the brown tresses. It didn't quite reach his chin but the bangs were long and messy, hanging into his eyes in a manner that made Carol itch to brush them away in order to see his eyes, eyes that she knew she could stare into endlessly given the chance.

''You feelin' better?''

Carol frowned at him and he blushed before gesturing his hand at her. ''Maggie said you had a headache?''

''Oh!'' Carol mentally cursed herself and tried to keep her face from turning red. ''Y-Yeah, much better, thank you.''

Daryl nodded in approval and rose back to a standing positon but made no move to leave.

''Don't you want to get back to the party?''

Daryl grimaced and shrugged. ''Not really a party kinda guy.''

Carol couldn't help but laugh. ''Oh, come on, everybody loves a party.''

Daryl looked reproachfully at her and she widened her eyes in sincerity at him. ''They do! Spending time with friends, music, dancing-''

He snorted, cutting her off. ''That right there is why I ain't down there.''

Carol inclined her head in question and he huffed out a breath. ''I ain't good at all that stuff.''

She smiled gently at him. ''Daryl, those people are your friends, your family. They'd never want to do anything to make you feel uncomfortable or unhappy.''

There was a loud cheer as the song changed to a popular dance track and Carol chuckled. ''Although I will admit that I would not be caught dead dancing to something like that.''

''You an' me both.''

''Sophia liked this kind of music.'' Carol said softly, a sad smile pulling on her lips. ''When Ed was working away, I'd let her crank the volume up loud and dance all over the house.'' Her smile grew a little. ''Sometimes I'd even join in.''

Daryl leaned against the wall, lips quirking slightly in fondness. ''Woulda' like to have seen that.''

Carol laughed, a bright sound that filled the room. ''She was much better at it than me. I was terrible at anything that didn't involve waltzing.''

Daryl jerked his head. ''Can't be anythin' worse than what's goin' on down there.'' He shuddered slightly. ''Glenn an' Rick dancin' is just somthin' I ain't ever gonna be able to take seriously.''

Carol grinned. ''It might not be as bad as you think. You should go check it out.''

At her words, several out of tune voices rang out loudly in a chorus of lyrics, making her cringe slightly. Daryl lifted his eyebrows at her and shook his head.

''Ain't goin' down there if you ain't there.''

Carol felt a blush creep into her cheeks and imagined that it mirrored the pink tinge gracing Daryl's face as he averted his gaze to stare at the floor.

''You don't need me there.'' She murmured. ''Sure there's plenty of people very eager to share a dance or two with you.''

She cursed herself for even speaking; she'd only done it to break the somewhat awkward silence that had rapidly filled the room but now she wished she had simply let it be. His head jerked up and his eyes narrowed at her with intensity, as though he was staring right into her mind.

''Told ya, I ain't goin' down there if you ain't there too.''

The song changed again and everybody cheered as Beth's voice carried over the original singer, her sweet voice harmonising a familiar tune by _The Rolling Stones_.

''Well, at least one of us can sing,'' Carol joked, suddenly wishing that Daryl would leave, simply so she didn't have to keep looking at him. ''You really should get down there…Could be a good opportunity to get to know some people better.''

Daryl frowned. ''Like who?''

It suddenly felt like she was having an out of body experience; she could see her lips moving, could hear the words leaving her mouth, and yet it felt like she truly had no control over what she was saying. ''Like all the women who definitely wouldn't say no to a dance with you.''

Her skin burned and she fought the urge to cover her face as Daryl's eyes widened in surprise for a brief moment before his face twisted into a heavy scowl, an expression she hadn't seen on his face for a long time. If it hadn't been for the longer length of his hair, it would have been like looking at the Daryl she first met back at the quarry.

'''S that what you want?''

Carol blinked, stunned by the question. ''W…why would it matter what I want?''

'''Coz it matters.''

''I-I don't-''

''You want me to go down to that party an' dance with some woman?''

''I-that's not what-''

''Dance with some woman that I ain't got no interest in?''

Carol bristled at his scornful tone and couldn't help but respond angrily. ''Well, for crying out loud, Daryl! They're practically falling over themselves in their attempts to try and get your attention so you may as well put everyone out of their misery and do something about it by letting them know which one has actually succeeded.''

Lady grumbled from her spot on the floor, clearly unhappy with the tone of their voices. Daryl's jaw was clenched and his eyes were shining with something akin to fury. Carol placed a hand over the spot where her heart was thumping furiously inside her chest, unable to believe she had truly spoken those words to him and suddenly, the cell was too closed in, too confined and she couldn't quite catch her breath and-

''Carol-are you-damnit. Okay, c'mon, c'mere, just breathe, Carol-breathe, honey, c'mon…''

The unusual use of the pet name only served to send her into more of a panic and before she could even try to form a coherent thought in response to his words, Carol found herself out on the walkway, her back pressed against Daryl's chest as he held her shoulders comfortingly, allowing her to feel the slow rise and fall of his chest as he breathed deeply.

''Breathe, breathe…that's it…''

Carol closed her eyes against the soothing weight of his hands on her shoulders and inhaled and exhaled as he did, slowly feeling her heartbeat slow and her lungs widen in their acceptance of the air she was pulling in. Focusing on the reassuring presence of her friend, the sounds of the nearby party, on the tunes and words that whirled within the walls, she found a comfortable rhythm that allowed the fog to slowly clear from her head.

''There you go…'' Daryl's voice, low and deep in her ear, did nothing for her sense of calmness but somehow she felt the tension gradually leave her body until she was able to breathe normally once again.

''Thank you…'' Carol stepped away from his loose embrace, palming her flushed face and running a finger through her hair in embarrassment, unable to look him in the eye. ''I…I don't know what came over me just then. I'm so sorry.''

''Ain't gotta be sorry for sayin' what you think,'' Daryl mumbled from behind her, his voice barely loud enough over the music. ''Just wish ya didn't get so upset over it.''

Carol swallowed against the lump in her throat and turned to look at him, unsure of what to say or do. Part of her just wanted the floor to open up and consume her so that she could be rid of the mortification that was pulsing through her body like ice, while another part of her just wanted to finally voice what she was thinking, what she had been feeling for so long, just so she could begin the process of finally moving on.

Deep down though, she knew that she would never truly be able to move on from loving him, no matter how hard she tried. The realisation brought tears to her eyes and she couldn't suppress the small sob that burst forth from behind her lips. She lifted one hand to her mouth, as if to catch it, while she held onto the railings with the other in a fierce grip to keep herself standing.

Daryl moved to stand right beside her, his broad chest brushing against her shoulder. Carol held the railing even tighter, tilting her head to avoid his gaze, instead focusing on where Lady was sleepily watching them from the entrance to her cell.

''Jus' so ya know…I ain't noticed anyone tryin' to get my attention...Was too busy tryin' to get yours.''

Carol's heart hopped and skipped fiercely and her head whipped up in shock, her teary eyes wide in surprise. He was staring intensely at a spot just left of her head, his brow furrowed in such a manner that he looked quite angry.

''I ain't any good at this sorta stuff,'' he mumbled, clenching and unclenching his fists.

Carol waited for him to continue, unable to help him find the words to express himself, because she couldn't bring herself to even speak, too afraid, too stunned and too hopeful to even dare to ask him what he meant. She watched his mouth open with the intent to speak before his lips meshed back together in a frustrated line, the bottom one tucking in slightly as he nibbled on the inside of it. There was the sensation of butterflies twisting and tumbling in her stomach and her palms were terribly slick with sweat while her heart was thrumming somewhere in her ears as she waited for him.

Then, the music from the party was cranked up even louder as it changed to a tune she knew so well, loved so much, and she let out a surprised laugh of delight that made Daryl jump.

''Oh,'' she breathed weakly, unable to stop herself from smiling despite the situation. ''I love this song.''

As the familiar words to _My Girl_ filled the room above the raucous noise from the nearby party, Carol felt the conflict within her abate slightly, just enough for her to be able to smile at the old tune. She focused on the melody, closing her eyes and humming quietly under her breath, feeling Daryl's eyes on her but still unable to meet his gaze. She gave a little gasp as his hand closed over hers against the railing and gently prised it away, turning her body to his and interlocking their fingers while he took hold of her other hand and raised it to his shoulder. He settled her palm against the leather of his vest before his hand fell hesitantly to her waist, his fingers fiddling with the hem of her shirt before locking on and then, before she could even question him or take a breath, they were moving. She was stunned by the surety of his movements as he slowly and gently led her forward and back upon the walkway, finding a way to twirl their bodies somewhat awkwardly in the confined space.

''Y-you can dance?'' she blurted, her voice high with astonishment.

''My Grandma taught me an' Merle when we was kids…Guess I still remember some.''

She met his gaze with a fond smile and a small smile curled at the corner of his lips in response before he whirled around once again. It wasn't in time with the music by any means and his attention was focused on their feet and her hands were still sweating profusely but Carol had no doubt that this was the single most romantic thing that had ever happened to her. They moved silently together for another minute and with every step they took, with every gentle squeeze of their hands and shared looks of shy warmth, for every single second that passed that allowed her to realise that she wasn't as foolish as she had believed, Carol felt all the pain and doubt and sorrow that had plagued her soul for so long leave her, allowing her love for the man in front of her to fully take hold.

As the end of the song approached, Daryl slowed their movements and carefully moved her so that their bodies were touching, the side of her head resting against the edge of his jaw. She felt his chest expand as he took a deep breath and then his lips were pressing against her ear, sending a jolt of electricity all the way through her.

'' _I even got the month of May with my girl…''_

He didn't sing it, not really, but the rumble of his voice through his body and the gravelly tone of the words in her ear was more beautiful than any rendition of any song she had ever heard. Unable to help the tears that sprung to her eyes, out of happiness this time, she pulled back to look into his face. He peered down at her, his blue eyes full of a tenderness she had never really seen before.

''Your girl?'' she whispered, easing her hand away from his shoulder to brush the tips of her fingers against the underside of his jaw.

He moved his hand from her waist, his fingers trailing up her side in a way that she believed was meant to be innocent in nature but sent shivers skipping across her skin, until his hand could take hold of the one by his face. His eyes locked onto hers as he lifted her hand and tentatively ghosted a kiss against her fingers before he nodded once.

''My girl.''

That was it. There was no dramatic declaration, no words shouted from the rooftop or sentimental gestures; it was just those words, spoken with such gentle promise and certainty that it was all Carol could do to not weep with joy. Instead, bolstered by his words, she leant forward and pressed her lips against his, moving her hands to weave into his hair while his arms curled around her in a warm embrace, holding her easily against him as though they had been doing it all along. Their lips skipped and skimmed against each other in gentle caresses, sending goosebumps along her arms and tingles up her back and filling her up with such an overwhelming feeling of love for him that she honestly felt like she could shoot out of the window at any moment if it weren't for his arms around her.

He eventually pulled back to catch a breath, but there was a warm grin on his face that made him look so much younger and Carol found herself grinning right back, snaking her arms around his shoulders in an embrace and pressing her forehead to his chest, unable to keep herself from being as close as possible. The song had changed again, barely able to be heard over the increasing jubilation of their family, but Daryl began to move again anyway, swaying their bodies ever so gently together in a rhythm that didn't match at all, but Carol didn't care. The song didn't matter, the rhythm didn't matter; all that mattered was that they were here, together instead of apart.

''Don't be thinkin' this is gonna be a regular thing or nothin','' his voice grumbled playfully from above her head. ''Got appearances to keep up an' all.''

Carol sighed contentedly, listening to the solid beat of his heart beneath her ear. ''Wouldn't dream of it, Pookie.''

* * *

 _And that's all she wrote! All comments are appreciated, hope it wasn't too terrible. I'm concerned that Daryl may have seemed to forward without writing his thought process but as this was from Carol's point of view that wasn't really possible so I hope it's okay. I've always loved the idea that when Daryl and Merle were younger they would have had grandparents who would have looked after them for a few weeks in the summer, allowing them to actually have some sort of normal in their childhood, and the idea that their grandma taught them how to dance so that they would be prepared for 'taking a nice young lady out' was just too perfect, especially when picturing her making Merle do it without complaint.  
_

 _Anyway, thanks for reading!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay, so I loved writing this story so much that I decided to add to it, this time from Daryl's point of view. It was pretty damn difficult to do and I have no idea if I've managed to pull it off as well as I'd like but I'm still glad I did it! Hopefully it'll be decent enough! Please forgive any mistakes, as always I have checked but my eyes are not magic, unfortunately!_

 _Please enjoy, though be aware; there be feels and fluff abound!  
_

 _Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me, much to my dismay!_

* * *

 _Fuck, this was weird._

He cast a surreptitious glance around at the people huddled around the picnic tables, all clutching some form of plastic teacup or piece of stale cookie and chatting happily as though it was the most normal thing in the goddamn world.

He looked down at his own teacup, pink and decorated with blue daisies, clutched loosely by the handle by his thumb and forefinger and squirmed awkwardly in his seat, wanting nothing more than to disappear. It wasn't that he didn't like the kids, far from it. He'd just never had much interaction with children in his former life, drifting around constantly with Merle had seen to that, so he was hardly the expert on how to actually _be_ around them. Luckily enough for him, the kids seemed to take the lead and he would just follow it, not wanting to make waves or, god forbid, upset one of them.

''You want another cookie, Mr Daryl?''

He looked down at the treat covered plate being held up to him by little Lulu, her big green eyes gazing happily up at him. He could feel the teasing stares of Glenn and Beth from where they sat beside him and he fought the urge to lift his gaze to glare at them.

''Ah…sure,'' He reached out and hesitantly plucked a chocolate chip one from the top of the selection. ''Thanks.''

Lulu beamed at him before skipping away with her plate, back to the opposite end of the line of tables where Casey and Tyler were busy mixing more blackcurrant cordial with water and pouring it into the large selection of teapots that surrounded them. Daryl watched them for a moment before taking a bite of his cookie, sliding his eyes over to Glenn and Beth in a look of warning. They merely grinned at him before being pulled into the somewhat heated discussion with Michonne and Oscar about what kind of cookies were the best; Michonne favoured those with nuts while Oscar insisted the chocolate kind was the only way to go. Daryl tuned out their words as he turned his attention to where Carol was sitting a few places along from him, chatting companionably with Rick and Joanna, Tyler's mother. He felt his stomach do a strange little flip as she erupted into laughter, her bright eyes scrunching up in merriment and her pink lips pulled back into a big smile. He took another rough bite of his cookie, chewing it so fiercely that his back teeth clicked together painfully.

He'd been feeling strange around Carol for a few months now, and it seemed to be getting worse with each passing day. Before, all her playful teasing and kindness towards him had been something he didn't really know how to react to; how the hell were you supposed to respond to a woman when she asked you to screw around?! Still, despite his uncertainty, he'd gradually learnt how to tease her back, how to accept her gentle touches as a sign of care and not something that could harm him until eventually it became a common interaction between them in their friendship, something which he cared about greatly. But recently, every single thing that she did, every time she crossed his mind on what was becoming a frighteningly regular basis had him feeling and acting like some kinda moron.

He wasn't the greatest expert when it came to women by any means; that had always been Merle's territory but Daryl didn't consider him a particularly good role model. Daryl's knowledge didn't extend past the more carnal side of a relationship so it wasn't like he knew how to treat a woman properly beyond the bedroom. He'd never experienced anything meaningful; he'd never really had any real friends before the world decided to go to hell in a handbasket so it wasn't even like he had any clue of how to actually have friends, let alone feelings for a woman that went beyond wanting to scratch an itch or two.

' _You're goin' soft, Darylina.''_ Merle's voice crooned mockingly in his head. _'Always knew you was the sweet one but I never figured ya'd be soft 'nough to let your dumb ass get all gaga over a woman.'_

Daryl fumed at the words whirling inside his head; imaginary Merle was just as irritating as real Merle and was doing nothing in helping Daryl deal with whatever the hell it was that he was supposed to be dealing with. He liked Carol, he really did. She was definitely the best friend he had ever had, that was for damn sure. So what kind of asshole was he to repay her friendship by having inappropriate thoughts about her? What kind of friend was he when each time he looked at her, he wondered what it would be like to mould himself to her body, to hold her close, to kiss her-

' _Jesus Christ, boy! The fuck is the matter with you?'_

 _Shut up, Merle!_

''Mr Daryl?''

A soft voice broke into his thoughts and he looked down at the source, finding himself staring into little Timmy's face.

''Can I sit on your lap?''

''Uh…'' Daryl set his cup down and leaned back in his seat, his arms held awkwardly by his sides. ''I guess…''

Timmy beamed and then held his arms up in the air. Daryl fidgeted, taking care not to catch the eyes of those that were watching the interaction, before he hooked his hands under Timmy's arms and swung the little boy up onto his lap. He immediately made to move his arms away but stilled as his hands were quickly captured by little fingers and tugged forward until his arms were curled around Timmy's small frame in a snug squeeze. Daryl watched the top of Timmy's head as the boy wriggled around to gain a comfortable position before he leant back against Daryl's chest with a contended sigh, his hands skimming soft patterns along Daryl's skin.

There was a soft coo from Beth and a couple of fond chuckles from some of the men that had Daryl's head shooting up with a threatening stare, only for his eyes to immediately lock with Carol's warm gaze. There was a small, almost shy, smile playing upon her lips and a bright sparkle in her blue eyes that made his heart begin to turn somersaults inside his chest. He realised he was now basically staring at her, his expression bordering on gormless instead of frustrated or annoyed, but he couldn't help it.

 _Has she always been this beautiful?_

He jumped as Timmy's body suddenly jerked and twisted in his lap and a tiny fist patted him on the collarbone. Reluctantly, he slowly dragged his eyes away from Carol to focus on the little boy that was urgently trying to get his attention.

''Mr Daryl!''

''Yeah?'' he grunted, eyebrows furrowed in question.

''Mr Daryl,'' Timmy whispered, leaning his ear up against Daryl's chest. ''your heart is beating very fast.''

Daryl didn't need the kid to tell him; he could hear the ferocious pounding in his ears. His mouth was full of wetness, as though he was about to throw up at any moment, and there was an unfamiliar tingling sensation within the pit of his stomach that he knew had nothing to do with the stale cookies.

''More tea, Mr Daryl?''

 _Fuck, why couldn't they have anythin' stronger on offer?_

He unhooked an arm from Timmy's body and held his cup out to Lulu and her horrifically pink teapot.

''Hit me, kid.''

* * *

''Yo, Daryl! You even listening to me, man?''

All thoughts of Carol and the tea party from several months ago were scattered from Daryl's mind at the loud call. Daryl jolted, catching his head on the broken wing mirror of the truck he was tending to and looked up to glare venomously at T-Dog. The man spotted the look on the hunter's face and cocked an eyebrow at him, clearly not intimidated in the slightest.

''Don't you be looking at me like that!'' he said with a snort. ''Not my fault you weren't paying attention.''

Daryl swore under his breath as he rubbed the aching spot on his head. ''The hell do ya want?''

T-Dog jerked his head. ''Your pooch has made off with one of my wrenches again and I need it to sort out this damn engine.''

Daryl straightened up properly, rubbing sweat from his forehead as he cast his eyes around the bustling yard. Sure enough, there was Lady, tail wagging furiously in playful excitement and T-Dog's stolen wrench clutched between her jaws. Daryl snorted at the sight and shrugged at the disgruntled man beside him.

''Only way you're gonna get that back is if ya play with her for a bit.''

''Play with her?!'' T-Dog exclaimed, his arms flailing in frustration. ''I've been playing with her every damn day for a week, man! She's your dog, can't you just tell her to give it back?''

Daryl just shrugged. ''Don't know what to tell ya.''

T-Dog's face creased in incredulity before he stormed off, calling pointlessly after the dog as she skipped away from him, legs kicking up in the joy of play. Daryl watched them go and chuckled at the expense of his friend. He knew without a doubt that if he were to tell Lady to drop the wrench, she would do so immediately. That's what made watching T-Dog chase Lady around the yard all the more amusing, especially seeing as it was only when Lady had had enough that she would drop the wrench and not as a result of T-Dog actually catching her, which he never did.

With a shake of his head, Daryl moved to look at the door of the truck again, trying to determine a way of making it open properly without ripping the whole damn thing off. He looked down at the bolt cutters in his hand and huffed in thought, wondering whether using a crowbar would be the only option, when an overly sweet voice cut through the nearby air.

''Well, hey there, cutie.''

Daryl flinched at the new presence at his back before he glanced over his shoulder and grunted out a greeting in return, reluctant to make any sort of conversation. The newer additions to their group, not so much new anymore really but newer than some, were a perfectly fine bunch and contributed as much as anyone else and the woman standing behind him, Stacey something or other, was no exception. She was good with weapons, took her watch without complaint and was pretty damn funny when she wanted to be. However, she had a sugary voice that set Daryl's teeth on edge and had a persistent and pushy way about her that made him feel backed into a corner whenever she spoke to him, which was becoming increasingly often as of late.

''I was wonderin' if you fancied joinin' me for a bit of refreshment? You've been workin' awful hard all mornin' so you must be absolutely parched.''

Daryl's eyes slid down to the half empty bottle of water that sat by the wheel of the truck. ''Naw, I'm good.''

''Oh, come on, sugar,'' she cooed, pressing closer until he could feel her breath fluttering on his neck. ''It won't do you any good to keep workin' all day without takin' a little time to… _relax._ ''

Daryl grimaced, wishing she would just back off. ''I relax just plenty.'

Stacey laughed. ''Not in the way you should, sweetie.''

 _The fuck was that s'posed to mean?_

He sucked in a breath as she slipped into the gap between him and the truck, a hand pressing lightly on his arm.

''Y'know, you ever need any help… _relaxin',''_ she spoke the word in the same honeyed tone as before, ''you just come and find me, alright? I'm sure we could find somethin' fun to do together.''

She gave him a big smile, all teeth and gums, as she slid away from him in a way that pressed her front to his for a brief moment before she sauntered away. Daryl remained still, staring at the space she had vacated in bemusement.

 _Woman's a damn weirdo._

He squirmed uncomfortably, feeling the cloying sense of her lingering presence like a smothering heat. He didn't understand why she, along with some others, felt the need to get so damn close to him whenever they interacted. He didn't like having people close to him or touching him at the best of times; he was better than he used to be, no longer flinching or shying away from the warmth of his family but that was because he knew them, trusted them. Still, even then, it wasn't always something he could deal with. Sometimes, a slap on the shoulder from T-Dog was too unexpected, an affectionate squeeze of the arm from Maggie was too much and a hug round the legs from one of the kids was too startling and made him want to jump out of his skin to get away from it all.

' _But you ain't feelin' that way whenever that pretty lil' mouse touches you, are ya, Darylina?'_

 _Goddamnit, Merle!_

He wasn't about to kid himself by pretending that he didn't so much tolerate Carol's touch but that he damn near _craved_ it. It wasn't an addiction that he wanted to fuel but he just couldn't help himself. Even when he'd flinch away from others it was her touch, so warm and gentle and so full of care that had him standing his ground, responding in kind, even seeking it out. It had gotten to the point where he'd do damn near almost anything she asked of him, find any way to be near to her; recently, he'd even offered to help her with laundry when a torrential downpour had postponed his hunt. To say she'd looked at him like he'd grown two heads was putting it lightly.

He was pissed off by his inability to truly understand the whole thing, to understand why he was so keen to get her attention but he'd be damned if that ever stopped him from trying.

'' _Jesus, boy! Can't ya just tell the broad how ya feel so you can stop this pansy ass moonin'?!''_

 _Swear to God, Merle!_

With a shake of his head, Daryl muttered quietly under his breath and resumed his manhandling of the door. He dropped the boltcutters back into the toolbox in exchange for a thin screwdriver, hoping he could wedge it into the lock just enough to encourage the mechanism into loosening up so that he could jimmy it open. He tuned out the hubbub of the world around him as he worked, sweating and grunting as he attacked the problem with gusto. After a while, his frustration grew as he seemed to grow no closer to getting the damn thing to open and he heaved a loud sigh.

''Goddamn it,'' he straightened up and smacked the side of the truck with the screwdriver. ''Lousy, poxy son of a-''

''Darerr!''

The curses died on his tongue as he turned quickly at the delighted call. He couldn't help but grin as he spotted Judith toddling towards him at an impressive speed, her chubby face bright with joy and her arms held up towards him.

He dropped the tool back into the box and quickly brushed his grimy hands on his shirt. ''Well, lookit you, Asskicker!'' He bent down and swung her up, holding her up by his shoulder with both arms tucked underneath her. ''Be hard to keep up with ya soon.''

He lifted his gaze from her to look at Rick as the man joined him, chuckling and shaking his head. ''Don't say that. I remember Carl; boy wouldn't slow down for nothin'.'' He grinned widely at the memory. ''Couldn't count the amount of bumped heads we had to deal with.''

Daryl chuckled with his friend and turned his attention back to the babbling girl in his arms, giving her a little bounce. ''Ain't nothing we can't handle, eh, sweetheart?''

''Darerr,'' Judith hummed, making the two men laugh.

Rick reached out to softly stroke the back of her fluffy head as she nestled it under Daryl's chin. ''I'll take that to mean you'll be the one volunteerin' to deal with all those bumps and bruises.''

Daryl snorted, unable to help himself from rubbing Judith's warm back as she nuzzled against him. For all his lingering aversions to touching and the like, he couldn't resist the feeling he got from being around the baby. She was the complete personification of sweetness and innocence; you'd have to be some cold-hearted son of a bitch to not see it, to not want to be in the presence of it. He rocked her as she cooed his name again, snuffling her face against his neck in contentment.

''You don't wanna be doin' that, girl,'' he warned gently, leaning his head back so he could look into her bright eyes. ''Pretty sure I don't smell too good.''

''You could smell like walker guts and she'd still love you just as much,'' Rick said, giving him a gentle shake of the shoulder.

Daryl just grunted in reply, still unsure of how to accept such a comment, even when he knew it was true. He tilted his head forward, letting it gently rest on Judith's as she snuggled back into him, letting his eyes roam across the yard just in time to see Michonne and Maggie calling after Carol as she hurried back inside the prison. With a frown, he carefully handed Judith back to Rick, before striding towards the murmuring women.

''Somethin' wrong with Carol?'' he asked.

The smile that Maggie immediately gave him was too forced to come across as natural. ''Yeah she's fine.'' At his narrowed gaze, she gave a small shrug. ''You know how she is, always busy, running round and making sure everybody's alright.''

Daryl slid his eyes over to Michonne, unable to detect anything to suggest otherwise in her face apart from an odd, almost guilty, look in her eye. Before he could question them further, the frustrated yelling of T-Dog caught his attention as the man hurried past, still in pursuit of Lady and the wrench. With a final suspicious stare at the two women, he turned on his heel and stalked after T-Dog, unable to shake the feeling that something wasn't right.

* * *

''But I don't wanna know how to dance!''

Suzanne Dixon turned from where she was busy adjusting the record player and raised her eyebrows.

''Just how do you expect to get yourself a nice wife with that kinda attitude, hm?''

Thirteen year old Merle Dixon glowered at his grandmother and crossed his arms in defiance. ''Maybe I don't wanna get a nice wife.''

Suzanne placed her hands upon her hips and stared at him, her lips twitching with a grin. Just beginning his ascent into manhood, Merle was still a little over a foot shorter than his willowy grandmother but he carried himself with a height that might appear intimidating to some, but Daryl knew that his grandmother wasn't one of those people. With a chuckle, she lightly flicked a grumbling Merle on the ear and laughed at he stared at her in outrage.

''Now, you listen to me, young man! You need to learn how to treat a lady proper, an' so help me, I'm gonna make it so you damn well know how!''

''Aw, hell, Suzie, can't you give the boy a break?'' a gravelly but warm voice called from the next room. ''Poor kid's on damn vacation!''

''Y'all make it sound like a damn chore!'' Suzanne said with a roll of her eyes, sending Merle in to sit with her husband before she turned her attention over to Daryl and smiled softly at him.

''You'll dance with me, won't ya, little darlin'?''

Six year old Daryl looked up at her shyly from his place on the couch. ''Yes, ma'am.''

Suzanne smiled at the little boy, all knobbly knees and fluffy brown hair that was in desperate need of a cut, and held out a hand to him. Daryl tentatively reached out and took it, allowing the woman to pull him up so that they were standing together in the middle of the living room.

''Now, a man should lead his lady when dancin' with her, but we'll get to that later. You gotta know how to move first.''

Daryl watched silently as she showed him where to put his hands and how to position his feet and began to blush profusely as he stumbled along with her graceful movements, watching his feet and feeling so silly and clumsy. Still, he persevered, copying her manoeuvres as best as he could, his little brow furrowed in concentration until, eventually, it all began to make some sort of sense.

''That's it, honey! You're really gettin' it!''

Daryl looked up in surprise. ''I-I am?''

''Sure you are! Such a talented grandson I have!'' Suzanne cheered, unable to help herself from sweeping the boy up into her arms for a cuddle.

Daryl couldn't help but cling to her, taking in her familiar flowery scent. She smelled kinda like his mama used to, before she took to smoking and drinking in bed all day.

''That don't look like dancin' to me!''

Daryl lifted his head to look up at the smiling face of his grandpa as he stood in the doorway with Merle at his side.

''Now, Jim, don't you be gettin' jealous of me makin' time with my li'l boy here.'' Suzanne teased, grinning at her husband.

''Ain't li'l.'' Daryl mumbled into her shoulder.

Suzanne chuckled and set him back down on the floor. ''Shall we show them how it's done?'' She extended her hands to him again, only for Merle to step further into the room.

''You gonna teach me or what?''

Suzanne turned her beaming smile onto him and held out her hands encouragingly which Merle took hesitantly within his own. To say that he was more awkward than Daryl in his manoeuvring was an understatement. His feet clomped heavily on the floor, his balance wavered when Suzanne spun them round and his body remained stiff as a board. Suzanne took it all in her stride, encouraging the boy to ignore the teasing laughter of his grandpa as they stumbled around the room with no coordination or rhythm at all. Eventually, despite his lack of finesse or ability, the smallest of grins appeared on Merle's face, something which Daryl hadn't seen for what felt like an extremely long time.

Daryl let out a little gasp of surprise as Suzanne once again pulled him up, moving so much faster than before that he actually began to feel a little dizzy until she released him so she could dance with his grandpa. He stood beside Merle and watched his grandparents dance together, took in the genuine smiles of happiness on their weathered faces and found himself longing and wishing to feel all the things that they did, all the things that made them smile at one another like there was nothing else in the world.

* * *

That summer when he learned to dance would be the last one that he and Merle spent with their grandparents. Their sanctuary, the only place where Daryl had felt any semblance of normality or safety, was lost in the wake of the death of James and Suzanne Dixon six weeks later when a truck collided with their car and crushed it against a tree, killing them both on impact. After that, everything went from bad to worse. His parents, already broken beyond repair, succumbed fully to their demons and took out their hatred and sorrow on Daryl, while Merle descended into a world of drugs and arrests and fights that stopped him from being the brother he should have been, from being the man he could have been.

Daryl tried not to think about his grandparents much, finding the memories too painful, but as he watched his friends and family laugh and talk from the safety of the doorway, he couldn't help but do just that.

''Hey, brother.''

Daryl nodded his head in greeting as Rick came over, having spotted him lurking on the outskirts of the communal area in which everyone was gathered.

Well, almost everyone.

''Where's Carol?''

Rick raised a brow at him in a knowing manner that made Daryl fidget. ''I would've thought you would be the one to know the answer to that.''

Daryl huffed at the man which only made Rick laugh and clap him fondly on the shoulder. ''She's up in her cell. Maggie said she's got some headache that she can't shake so she's resting.''

Daryl frowned at this information and Rick grinned. ''And Oscar and Joanna are on watch, just in case you were wondering.''

The hunter merely glared at his friend before turning his attention to watch Glenn messing around with the mp3 player, a huge grin on his face. Rick turned his head to follow his gaze and gave a delighted chuckle as music suddenly burst into the air, bringing the entire room to life with happiness. Even Daryl couldn't ignore the slight tingle that ran down his arms at the sound of something that had been so abruptly snatched away when the world was lost, something that had only been remembered in the form of softly hummed tunes and weak renditions of familiar words, up until now. Glenn let out a delighted cheer and promptly swept Maggie up into his arms so he could twirl her around the room, prompting others to quickly join them until the room was a mass of excited movement. As Rick was quickly drawn into the party, Daryl took the opportunity to slip away, hoping everyone would have the good sense to not come looking for him.

' _Now, why's that, baby brother? Scared you're gonna get caught with your pants round your ankles?'_

Daryl bristled at the imaginary Merle's words as he hurried up the stairs to the upper level of the cell block, resisting the urge to swear out loud in response to the taunt.

' _Don't be gettin' mad at me now! Ain't my fault ya went an' fell in love with the lady.'_

Daryl stopped dead, mere inches away from Carol's cell.

 _Fuck…_

Trust it to be the fictional manifestation of his missing brother to be what allowed him to finally accept what had been staring him in the face for so long. He'd known, deep down somewhere inside he'd known for a long time, but had never had the courage to fully acknowledge whatever it was that made him physically ache for her, burn to be with her, yearn to be closer than he'd ever been to anyone before.

'' _Cos you're a Dixon, baby brother, an' nothin' good ever happens to us. That woman ain't gonna love you anymore than someone's gonna find a cure for this damn apocalypse.'_

The words were like a sucker punch to the stomach, rendering him breathless and leaving his body full of a heaviness that had him leaning against the wall for support.

Real or not, Merle's words were true. How the hell had he let himself get to this point, even let himself for a moment consider the possibility-

He took a deep breath and clenched his teeth. He was just a dumb hick with nothing to offer and she was so much more than he could ever deserve; she was beautiful, kind, strong and deserved so much better than someone like him. He knew that she cared about him, knew that they were close but that didn't mean that Carol would ever see him as anything more than a friend, didn't mean that she would suddenly decide to choose to be with him out of all the other men left in the world.

 _You're such a fuckin' moron…_

He growled and thudded his head softly against the wall. He wanted to leave, go out and try to clear his head, but he couldn't. He wanted to see her; while not the best conversationalist, he loved talking to her and he'd felt the loss of her voice heavily, even if it hadn't been all that long since he'd last spoken to her.

' _Goddamn, you really have got it bad, baby brother.'_

He growled and thudded his head on the wall again, allowing the sound of Carol's soft voice cooing at someone to draw him away from the wall and into the doorway of her cell, bringing him to look upon the occupants of the cell. He felt the weight in his chest only grow heavier as he watched Carol softly coo and fuss over Lady, a bright smile lighting up her face. It was his most favourite smile, the one that only appeared when she was truly amused or happy about something. Curious as to what had made her smile that way, he found himself speaking despite his almost desperate desire to turn tail and flee.

''Whatcha' smilin' at?''

His words drew a shriek of surprise from Carol and a furious bark from Lady as the little dog shot off the bed in order to defend Carol, hackles raised to make her resemble something akin to a fluffy porcupine. He held his hands up to show he meant no harm, quirking an eyebrow at the dog as she gave a disgruntled snort upon realising it was him.

''Whoa now! Ain't no need to get excited!''

Carol glared playfully at him, her shoulders dropping a little as the initial panic died away. ''It's not my fault. I can hardly hear you sneaking up on me with all that noise from downstairs.''

Daryl snorted as he lowered his hands. He hadn't been t _hat_ quiet. ''Wasn't sneakin'.''

A low grumble drew his attention to Lady who was now standing at his feet, peering up at him with bright eyes full of unconditional love for her master. He immediately crouched down to fuss over her, taking care to give her several scratches against her upper belly, her favourite spot, as thanks for having jumped to Carol's defence so quickly. He ducked behind his hair as he felt Carol's gaze linger on him, unsure of what to do now that he was actually in the room with her.

He didn't have a single fucking clue.

Praying for some inspiration to strike him so that he could find something, any goddamn thing, to say to fill the growing silence between them, he lifted his gaze to peer round the room from behind the safety of his fringe. Spying a half empty glass of water on the box beside the bunk that housed her personal belongings, he seized the thought that immediately came to mind.

''You feelin' better?''

His question was met with a confused frown and he felt heat immediately rise to his face. ''Maggie said you had a headache?''

His feelings of idiocy abated slightly as he watched the look of realisation cross her face in the form of a pretty little blush.

''Oh,'' she breathed. ''Y-yeah, much better, thank you.''

Pleased to hear it, Daryl nodded at her and drew himself back to a standing position, much to Lady's disappointment. Unsure of what to say or do, he simply stood there looking at her as she looked back at him. There was a stiffness to her posture, as though she was on guard against something, and a look in her eyes that he recognised to be one of upset. He'd only seen that look a few times in their friendship but he knew it well enough to know that something was really bothering her. He was suddenly filled with an all-encompassing desire to fix it, to help her, to make her feel happy again.

' _I know of a few ways you could make her happy again, baby brother…'_

Merle's sleazy suggestion only made him bristle for a moment before Carol's voice filled the cell once more.

''Don't you want to get back to the party?''

Daryl immediately pulled a face at the idea and shrugged. ''Not really a party kinda guy.''

Carol gave a soft laugh. ''Oh, come on, everybody loves a party.''

Daryl fixed her with a disbelieving stare.

''They do!'' Carol said, eyes widening with sincerity. ''Spending time with friends, music, dancing-''

Daryl couldn't help but scoff at her words. ''That right there is why I ain't down there.''

Carol tilted her head questioningly and he sighed. ''I ain't good at all that stuff.''

His words were true; the only parties he had ever been to had been the ones that Merle had dragged him along to when hunting out one of his dealers. Even then, those gatherings hadn't really been what was typically considered a party, just a bunch of stoners and drunks pawing at each other through a haze of cigarette smoke. There wasn't dancing or laughter or friends celebrating together, just a mess of people with nowhere else to be.

His chest tightened as Carol smiled softly at him. ''Daryl, those people are your friends, your family. They'd never want to do anything to make you feel uncomfortable or unhappy.''

He'd never really had friends before the apocalypse. The only consistent thing in his life before the end of the world had been Merle; acquaintances, potential friendships and possible romances all fell by the wayside as he followed his brother around until he eventually gave up trying to form bonds with others, knowing it would be pointless in the end. He resigned himself to being a loner, to the fact that Merle was probably going to be the only person who would ever give a damn about him.

That had all changed when he had become part of a group of people who would do anything to help each other survive the horrors that plagued the world, when he found himself surrounded by people who cared about him, valued him...people who loved him for who he was.

He studied Carol and felt the tightness in his chest morph into a deep ache.

People who loved him in all the ways it was probably possible to love someone…except for the one way that he wanted to be loved, by the one person who he wanted to love him in that way.

' _Well, don't that just break your damn heart.'_

A loud cheer from downstairs accompanied a change in the music and he focused his attention back on the moment as Carol chuckled lightly.

''Although I will admit that I would not be caught dead dancing to something like that.''

''You an' me both.''

''Sophia liked this kind of music.'' Carol said quietly, smiling sadly. ''When Ed was working away, I'd let her crank the volume up loud and dance all over the house.'' Her smile grew a little. ''Sometimes I'd even join in.''

Daryl moved to lean back against the wall, smiling fondly at her words despite the heavy feeling that had a grip on his heart. ''Woulda' like to have seen that.''

The laugh that Carol gave made Daryl's skin tingle. ''She was much better at it than me. I was terrible at anything that didn't involve waltzing.''

Daryl nodded his head towards the doorway. ''Can't be anythin' worse than what's goin' on down there.'' His shoulders wobbled under a shiver. ''Glenn an' Rick dancin' is just somethin' I ain't gonna be able to take seriously.''

Carol grinned at him. ''It might not be as bad as you think. You should check it out.''

Right on cue, there was a loud chorus of horrible singing and Daryl could only raise his eyebrows at her and shake his head while she cringed at the noise, obviously realising that her words were probably not true.

''Ain't goin' down there if you ain't there.''

He felt his skin flush once more just as he watched Carol's face return to the shade of pink it had been a few moments ago. He quickly moved his gaze to the floor, suddenly finding it too difficult to look at her face. The silence that filled the room seemed to be louder than the noise of the celebrations and it was enough to make him duck behind his hair again in his uncertainty of what to say next.

''You don't need me there.'' Carol murmured after a moment. ''Sure there's plenty of people very eager to share a dance or two with you.''

 _The hell was that s'posed to mean?_

He lifted his head quickly to look at her, his eyes narrowing as he studied her.

''Told ya, I ain't goin' down there if you ain't there too.''

The sound of Beth's singing, low and sweet, suddenly carried through the air. While usually soothing to him, it did nothing to quell his suspicion towards Carol's words or to improve the strangeness of the moment they were sharing.

''Well, at least one of us can sing,'' Carol joked, her voice high with false ease. ''You really should get down there…'' She met his gaze for a second before looking away again. ''Could be a good opportunity to get to know some people better.''

Daryl frowned at her. ''Like who?''

''Like all the women who definitely wouldn't say no to a dance with you.''

Daryl stared at her, his blue eyes almost comically wide in surprise before he scowled at her words, his eyebrows settling heavily over narrowed eyes while his jaw became tense as his lips pressed together in a thin line. He fought to remain stoic, to not give away the fact that her words had stunned him, hit him with a force that made him feel desperate and terrified all at once.

Did she really want that? Want him to leave her here alone and go and schmooze with some random woman that he didn't give a damn about?

'''S that what you want?'' he asked, his voice low and tight.

''W…why would it matter what I want?''

She seemed genuinely confused by the question and that only served to frustrate Daryl even more.

'''Coz it matters,'' he replied, forcing himself to hold eye contact with her.

She faltered under his stare. ''I-I don't-''

''You want me to go down to that party an' dance with some woman?''

''I-that's not what-''

''Dance with some woman that I ain't got no interest in?''

His voice had unintentionally taken on a biting tone and his words came out harsh and angry, ricocheting off the walls like bullets and striking home with just as much ferocity. Carol visibly bristled at his words, her posture straightening and her eyes flashing with anger.

''Well, for crying out loud, Daryl! They're practically falling over themselves in their attempts to try and get your attention so you may as well put everyone out of their misery and do something about it by letting them know which one has actually succeeded.''

Daryl clenched his teeth together, curling his hands into fists as he listened to Lady growling unhappily at his feet. He angled his head down to stare at the ground, his vision blurred with astonished fury. How the hell could she say that? How could she think that he would want anybody else when she was around? How could she believe that he would choose anyone else other than her?

How could she not know that in whatever way anything could exist between them, friendship or otherwise, it would always be her _?_

Multiple words, questions and explanations danced and died on his tongue, each fighting for dominance as he struggled to figure out what to do next. The sudden sound of a desperate gasp for air had his head jerking up immediately to look at Carol. She was still standing by her bunk, only now her hand was pressed against her chest as it heaved under her struggle to breathe. Her eyes were clenched shut and there was a sheen of sweat covering her face as she wheezed helplessly.

''Carol,'' Daryl murmured, moving towards her quickly. ''Are you-damnit.'' He quickly curled an arm around her waist and pulled her into his side. ''Okay, c'mon, c'mere,'' he encouraged as he steered her out onto the walkway, turning himself to lean against the guardrail and moving her so she leaned back against his chest.

''Just breathe…'' He held her shoulders gently and breathed slowly and deeply against her. ''Carol, breathe, honey, c'mon…'' he said softly into her ear, the term of endearment falling easily from his tongue. He held her closer, letting his chest push her body forward and back with every deep breathe he took, silently willing her to calm down.

It was no easy feat; inside his heart was racing a million miles an hour and there was a tumble of words roaring inside his head, accompanying the guilt and dismay he felt for allowing her to feel like this. How had he not realised; above all else, she was his best friend, the closest person to him, how had he not noticed that she was hurting, hurting badly because of him?

''Breathe, breathe…that's it…''

The wretched turmoil of anger and self-loathing inside was soothed ever so slightly by the feeling of relief as he felt her breathing begin to regulate, felt her body begin to slow in its sharp movements and list against him in weariness.

''There you go…'' he whispered, maintaining the rhythm of his own breathing as best he could, unable to fully control the sickening buzz of his heart.

' _You've really screwed this up, baby brother.'_

Daryl closed his eyes, wishing for the hundredth time that his brother was really here, only so he could smack him straight in his mouth.

''Thank you…'' Carol whispered as she eased herself away from him, self-consciously running her hands over her face and through her hair. ''I…I don't know what came over me just then,'' she mumbled, her face flushed in embarrassment. ''I'm so sorry.''

Daryl was stunned at her demeanour and fought to quell the fury that rose rapidly within him. He was no longer looking at Carol as she was now, brave and strong and compassionate, but at the ghost of her former self that had merely whispered and tiptoed her way through life, too afraid and too alone to speak up for herself, to do something for her own happiness. The woman standing in front of him resembled so much of the meek little shadow that had drifted around the quarry camp like a sheet caught on the breeze that he actually felt sick at the sight of her, knowing that he was the reason for it.

 _Fix it, you fuckin' jackass!_

''Ain't gotta be sorry for sayin' what you think,'' he said quietly after a moment, hoping there was enough conviction in his voice for her to believe him. ''Just wish ya didn't get so upset over it.''

The look she gave him, all wide blue eyes shining with tears, damn near broke his heart in two. He longed to reach out to her, to absorb all her hurt and inflict it upon himself, to steady her and comfort her as she held on tightly to the railing of the walkway, trembling under the force of maintaining her composure.

' _Well don't jus' stand there, ya lovesick dumbass! Do somethin'!'_

Daryl stepped forward, Merle's words packing enough of a punch to shunt him towards her until his chest bumped her shoulder gently. She avoided his gaze, choosing to focus on where Lady was watching them with dozy eyes from the cell doorway. Daryl licked his lips and opened his mouth, hoping that whatever words came out could repair all that had been done.

 _Tell her!_

''Just so ya know…'' he breathed, his voice hoarse and raspy, ''I ain't noticed anyone tryin' to get my attention…'' He lifted his gaze to glare at the wall behind Carol, curling his tongue against the effort of speaking. ''Was too busy tryin' to get yours.''

He saw Carol's head move to look at him but he couldn't bring himself to focus on her, too locked in the struggle to not lose his nerve, to make it so she knew that everything he did, everything he would ever do for the rest of his goddamn life, would be for her.

''I ain't any good at this sorta stuff,'' he growled, balling his hands into fists in his frustration.

He chewed on the inside of his bottom lip, his nails carving grooves into his palms as he squeezed his fists even tighter, willing something, anything, to come out of his mouth that would give her some idea of how he really felt.

 _Come on!_

He could feel her eyes on him, studying him so intensely, and he felt the frustration build rapidly within, felt the heat of it begin to course through his blood, threatening to burst out of him in angry words and sullen gestures. Then, a sound he hadn't expected, so much louder and brighter than the noise from the party, came from Carol and he jerked in surprise, turning to look at Carol in bewilderment.

She had laughed. Not a full chuckle or giggle, but a breathy sort of sound that Daryl instantly latched onto it, allowing it to set alight a little fire of hope within him, letting it ever so slightly calm his burning blood and push back against the doubt clinging tightly to his thoughts.

''Oh,'' she said softly, a small smile gracing her face. ''I love this song.''

How he hadn't noticed the change in song or increase in volume he had no idea, but he recognised the tune instantly; it had been one of his Grandma's favourites. He let the familiar lyrics wash over him as he watched Carol close her eyes and sway gently from side to side while humming along. Before he knew it, his hand had reached out to ease her fingers away from the railing and he was turning her to face him. His heart raced like a hummingbird as he pulled her as close as he dared, fingers clutching hesitantly on the parts of her they gently touched as he angled their bodies together. He didn't give time for her to say anything or for his own terror to truly take hold before he started to move, leading her as best as he could in the confined space of the walkway while trying to remember all that his Grandma had ever taught him.

' _Wellll I'll be damned! Maybe you ain't so much of a pussy after all, Darylina.'_

Daryl barely heard Merle's words, too focused was he on the woman he held so carefully in his grasp.

''Y-you can dance?'' Carol asked, disbelief and something akin to awe in her voice.

Daryl quirked his head in conformation. ''My Grandma taught me an' Merle when we was kids…Guess I still remember some.''

She smiled at him then, so brightly and warmly that it was all he could do to smile at her back before he twirled her around once more, admiring the way the flicks of her pixie curls waved with the movement. They didn't speak any further as they continued to dance, not that Daryl thought he could open his mouth again without revealing the sound of his furiously beating heart. Their moves were not fluid enough for it to be a perfect dance, but for all the soft looks she gave him and for all the tender squeezes of their hands and brushes of their bodies against one another, Daryl knew for a fact that it was the most goddamn perfect thing that he'd ever been a part of, that she was the most perfect thing he'd ever known. As he held her, swayed with her, exchanged shy but glowing glances with her, he knew that he'd been a fool to have not done something sooner.

He could hear the end of the song coming and he slowed their movements down slightly, pulling Carol even tighter against him, tilting his head until her soft hair brushed his chin and her sweet scent fully invaded his senses. He wanted to say something, do anything else to make her understand just how he felt, how he had felt for so damn long. He struggled to think of the words, to think of anything that would truly convey the depth of it all in a way that she would understand.

 _For fuck sake, say somethin', anythin'!_

Then it hit him, like a big old bolt out of the blue, and he found himself pressing his lips to her ear and taking a deep breath as she shivered in his embrace.

'' _I even got the month of May with my girl…''_

He eased his head back just as Carol did, meeting her gaze as she looked up at him, her blue eyes shimmering with tears.

''Your girl?''

His breath caught in his chest as her fingers brushed against the skin of his jaw. Summoning as much courage as he was able, he skimmed his hand slowly up the side of her body, wanting to memorise every single inch of her by touch. He eventually reached the hand that was resting on his face and took it in his own, meeting her gaze once again as he gently pressed a kiss to her fingers and gave her a nod.

''My girl.''

Before he knew it she was on him, wrapped around him tightly with her fingers buried in his hair and her lips moving sweetly against his own. It was all he could do to clutch her tightly in return, holding her as close as he possibly could while kissing her back with equal fervour, wondering why the hell they'd taken so long to do this when it was so damn good. It felt as though he had finally come alive, as though every single inch of his being was vibrating under the strength of his love for her and the very force of it was enough to make him feel dizzy.

' _Knew ya had it in ya, baby brother.'_

For the first time, his brother's words were welcome and he smiled a little into the kiss before pulling away to catch his breath, the smile easily turning into a full grin as he looked at Carol gazing up at him, her face so bright and beautiful with her own smile. Her arms came around his shoulders while her forehead rested against his chest, her body leaning so alluringly against his own that he felt breathless all over again. He began to move again to the music as it changed to a song he was sure he knew but couldn't really remember, gently pulling her along with him as they swayed on the spot, buried in the warmth of their embrace.

The memory of his grandparents, dancing and smiling at one another, flickered through his thoughts and he smiled fondly, resting his head atop of Carol's as he realised that finally, after all this time, six year old Daryl Dixon's wish had come true.

''Don't be thinkin' this is gonna be a regular thing or nothin','' he said after a moment, nudging the top of her head with his cheek. ''Got appearances to keep up an' all.''

Carol merely sighed happily and nuzzled her head against his chest. ''Wouldn't dream of it, Pookie.''

Daryl paused, just for a moment, waiting for the taunting and teasing voice of his brother to make itself known, but there was nothing except for his own dumbfounded thoughts echoing distantly in the back of his mind. For a split second he felt a fierce pang of sadness for his brother, both real and imaginary, and felt the loss sink heavily into his stomach to mix horribly with the guilt he had kept buried since Atlanta.

As though sensing his sorrow, Carol tilted her head up to look at his face, her eyes full of such understanding that he suddenly wondered if she could somehow hear his thoughts. Without a word, she moved her hands to cup his face and began to lay gentle kisses across his skin, forming a sweet and soothing trail all the way down to his lips which she then kissed ardently, stunning him with the ferocity of the feeling behind it.

He knew then, without a doubt, much as he had done for a long time, that being with her was what he needed, that as long as Carol was here with him, everything was going to be alright. Everything around him melted away then until only the two of them existed. The familiar music, Lady's sleepy breathing, the sounds of his friends and family laughing, the creaks and groans of the prison and his own thoughts all fell away to nothing as he completely surrendered himself to the woman encased in his arms, to the woman who had so effectively snared his heart that he truly, madly, deeply hoped she would never give it back.

 _My girl._

* * *

 _*peeks out from behind hands* I hope it wasn't too terrible! I know it was mushy and sappy as hell but yeah, sometimes you need the fluff! All comments are appreciated! Thanks for reading :)_


End file.
